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TThe Spanish companies ARMMO Defense Technologies and GDELS Santa Bárbara Sistemas have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to develop and integrate advanced solutions on armored platforms and ground systems. The collaboration has already delivered its first result during the ATLAS 26 exercise: the integration, launch, and flight of the BANDIT-X autonomous interceptor from an ASCOD HMC tracked armored vehicle, combining tracked protection and mobility with new drone defense capabilities.

The agreement brings together Santa Bárbara Sistemas' expertise in military vehicle engineering, manufacturing, and integration with ARMMO's capabilities in autonomous aerial interception and Counter-UAS technologies. The objective is to expand the solutions available within the Spanish defense industry to meet current and future operational requirements through cooperation spanning different platforms and mission configurations.

The Spanish defense industry is looking for new ways to protect ground forces in the face of the proliferation of drones.GDELS Santa Bárbara Sistemas and ARMMO Defense Technologies have integrated and tested the launch of the BANDIT-X autonomous interceptor from an ASCOD HMC armored vehicle, a combination that opens the door to mobile air defense and counter-unmanned systems capabilities.

The test took place during the ATLAS 26 exercise in Huelva, under the direction of the Spanish Army's Anti-Aircraft Artillery Command. It included the system's integration, the launch from the tracked platform, and the flight of the interceptor.The test is part of a collaboration agreement between both companies to develop and integrate advanced technologies on armored vehicles and ground systems.The alliance combines Santa Bárbara Sistemas' experience in military vehicle engineering, manufacturing, and integration with ARMMO's capabilities in autonomous interceptors and unmanned aerial threat neutralization technologies.

The activity was attended by representatives from the Spanish Army, Navy, and Air and Space Force, as well as high-ranking NATO commanders. Among them were the Chief of the Defense Staff (JEMAD), Admiral General Teodoro Esteban López Calderón, and the Supreme Allied Commander Transformation (SACT), Admiral Pierre Vandier.

H. M. King Felipe VI visited the ARMMO Defense Technologies booth during INDUDEF 2026, where company CEO Jaime Abrisqueta presented the progress on the BANDIT-X autonomous drone interceptor, which has been validated by NATO and holds a NATO Stock Number (NSN). Its new generation, the BANDIT-X V3, incorporates improvements in speed, autonomy, navigation, and operational capabilities.

Additionally, during the visit, Felipe VI learned about the ARW39CAT-A, an autonomous catamaran-style naval platform for defense, surveillance, and maritime security. ARMMO's participation in INDUDEF was also marked by an agreement with Escribano Mechanical & Engineering to promote industrial cooperation and the joint development of technological capabilities applied to defense.

The Spanish defense industry is adding a new capability in one of the strategic areas amidst the transformation of current conflicts: drone detection and interception. ARMMO Defense Technologies has obtained a NATO Stock Number (NSN) for BANDIT X, its autonomous interceptor developed in Spain to tackle the growing threat of unmanned aerial systems. The evolution of BANDIT X also coincides with achieving ISO 9001 certification, reinforcing the company's quality, industrialization, and production processes.

Obtaining the NSN integrates BANDIT X into the cataloging system used within the Atlantic Alliance environment, facilitating its identification and logistical management within the allied defense ecosystem. This milestone comes after the system validated its capabilities in exercises carried out in Slovakia, as part of the Eastern Flank Deterrence Initiative, led by NATO LANDCOM

Armmo Defense Technologies will invest more than 20 million euros and create 170 qualified jobs in Zafra. The announcement, made public this Saturday during an institutional visit, confirms a strategic project for technological employment in Extremadura.

The Minister of Economy, Employment, and Digital Transformation, Guillermo Santamaría, visited the plant accompanied by the Mayor of Zafra, Juan Carlos Fernández Calderón. Both were briefed on the progress of an industrial complex that aims to become a European benchmark in autonomous defense systems.

The plant spans over 30,000 square meters and is designed to integrate industrial production, software development, electronics, and the use of advanced sensors into a single space. The planned investment exceeds 20 million euros and will enable the manufacturing of unmanned aerial, naval, and ground systems.

The Minister of Economy, Employment, and Digital Transformation, Guillermo Santamaría, has visited the facilities of ARMMO Defense Technologies in Zafra, accompanied by the city's mayor, Juan Carlos Fernández Calderón, to learn about the progress of one of the industrial projects linked to the defense sector with the greatest potential for job creation and investment attraction in Extremadura.During the visit, the minister toured the industrial plant spanning more than 30,000 square meters and was able to see firsthand the development of the facilities and the production capacity the company is establishing in the town.

Boost to Industry and Employment

Santamaría highlighted the importance of business initiatives that contribute to strengthening Extremadura's industrial fabric, driving innovation, and creating skilled employment in the region. He also praised projects that position Extremadura in strategic technological sectors with the capacity to attract new investments. "Extremadura has the right conditions to attract innovative industrial projects that create quality jobs, retain talent, and help diversify our economy," the minister noted.

The company is working on the development and production of autonomous aerial, naval, and ground systems within a single industrial complex, with the goal of turning the Zafra facilities into a European benchmark in this field.

At Eurosatory 2026, Spanish defense innovator Armmo officially unveiled its groundbreaking ARW39CAT-A armed Unmanned Surface Vehicle (USV). In this interview, Naval News talks with Javier Calle Mora, Armmo’s International Sales Director, to break down the features, design, and mission profiles of this next-generation naval platform.

Measuring 12 meters in length, the ARW39CAT-A features a high-stability catamaran hull engineered for demanding maritime environments. Powered by twin 480-hp Volvo Penta engines coupled with waterjet propulsion, this unmanned vessel can reach maximum speeds of up to 50 knots. Despite its agility, the USV boasts an impressive payload capacity of 1,200 kg. It can be deployed from full-size surface combatants like frigates.

Javier Calle Mora highlights the platform's heavy firepower and reconnaissance capabilities, showcasing its integration with the Unirobotics TRAKON 30 Remote Controlled Weapon Station (RCWS) carrying a 30x113mm revolver cannon. Furthermore, the USV is engineered for advanced Counter-UAS (C-UAS) and drone defense operations, capable of carrying up to 20 of Armmo’s own Bandit-X interceptor drones and two Sidewinder type short-range anti-air missiles.

The Spanish company ARMMO has taken a qualitative leap in its positioning as a new Spanish player in the C-UAS segment by having NATO's Allied Land Command (NATO LANDCOM) validate its anti-drone and tactical air protection systems during a NATO exercise on the Eastern Flank.

ARMMO Defense Technologies has operationally certified its AURIS, BANDIT-X, and GULL systems in Slovakia during multinational tactical evaluations held at the Lešť International Military Training Centre, as part of the Eastern Flank Deterrence Initiative led by NATO LANDCOM. In these scenarios, designed to replicate real threats observed in contemporary conflicts, the Spanish systems undertook missions of surveillance, early detection, tracking, force protection, and kinetic neutralization of hostile drones.

The tests were attended by allied units deployed on the Eastern Flank and specialized UAS and C-UAS operators from various NATO armies, including elements of the Spanish Army such as the Observation Section of the 8th "Colón" Flag of the Spanish Legion, who were able to witness the capabilities of ARMMO's family of systems firsthand in the field. As a result, NATO LANDCOM has validated the company in two strategic areas: Kinetic C-UAS Defeat System and Tactical, Mobile, Networked Aerial Threat Protection, placing these developments among allied solutions capable of generating tactical protection bubbles against UAS in forward deployments.

The Spanish company Armmo Defense Technologies obtained the validation of several of its technological capabilities this Thursday during military exercises held in Slovakia as part of the Eastern Flank Deterrence Initiative (EFDI), coordinated by NATO Allied Land Command. The Auris, Bandit-X, and Gull systems participated in operational tests aimed at evaluating responses to unmanned aerial threats and the tactical protection of deployed units. As a result, the technology company received validation for the capabilities known as Kinetic C-UAS Defeat System and Tactical, Mobile, Networked Aerial Threat Protection, according to the company.

These certifications represent an endorsement of the systems' ability to operate in complex environments and interoperate with allied forces, in a context marked by the growing prominence of drones in contemporary conflicts. The proliferation of low-cost unmanned aerial vehicles has led NATO countries to accelerate the development of detection, neutralization, and counter-drone capability integration solutions.

"New threats demand faster, more autonomous, and more adaptable systems, and the validation obtained on the eastern flank proves that our technologies work where it truly matters: in real operational conditions," stated the company's CEO, Jaime Abrisqueta.

The certification arrives at a time of expansion for the company, as it will participate from June 15 to 19 in Eurosatory 2026, the premier international defense and security exhibition held in Paris, where it will present its aerial, ground, and naval solutions, including a new autonomous catamaran.

ARMMO Defense Technologies bursts into the defense sector with a clear ambition: to become Europe's most important factory for drones and autonomous systems. At the helm of the project is Jaime Abrisqueta, founder and CEO of the company, a Spanish entrepreneur with over a decade of international experience in defense, industrial cooperation, and the development of advanced technological capabilities. Abrisqueta also participates as a Spanish expert in the EDSTAR group of the European Defense Agency in Brussels, which focuses on standards, interoperability, and strategic technologies for future European defense systems.

ARMMO is a Spanish company specializing in autonomous systems and advanced detection and interception solutions. The company develops unmanned aerial, naval, and ground platforms, integrating industrial production, software, electronics, sensors, and operational adaptation within a single technological ecosystem.

The company is developing an industrial hub in Zafra (Extremadura) focused on autonomous systems and advanced defense technologies, featuring capabilities for production, electronic integration, composite materials, assembly, testing, R&D, and specialized training. The project arrives at a pivotal moment for Europe, marked by current threats and ongoing conflicts, the sustained increase in defense investment, the accelerated technological transformation of armed forces, and the need to strengthen the continent's strategic autonomy and deterrence capability.

Europe is making defense investment and strategic autonomy a priority on its agenda following four years of war in Ukraine and with the conflict between the US and Iran unresolved.

In this context, ARMMO was founded in Spain, a company specialized in autonomous systems and advanced detection and interception solutions that aims to become Europe's most important drone factory. "Europe is facing a historic opportunity to recover its own industrial and technological capacity. The defense of the future will not depend solely on having a larger budget, but on being able to develop, produce, and integrate technology at the speed demanded by new threats," explains Jaime Abrisqueta, CEO of ARMMO.

The company develops unmanned aerial, naval, and ground platforms, integrating industrial production, software, electronics, sensors, and operational adaptation within a single technological ecosystem. In April, ARMMO participated in the Spanish Army's 2026 Tactical Experimentation Campaign held in Viator (Almería)—a demonstration visited by His Majesty King Felipe VI—where capabilities related to drones, unmanned ground vehicles, counter-UAS systems, and new electronic threats were presented.

We interview Jaime Abrisqueta Ynzenga, CEO and founder of the Spanish company ARMMO Defense Technologies, to present the capabilities of this new company and its industrial plan. The company specializes in the development and manufacturing of aerial, naval, and ground unmanned systems, electronic warfare capabilities, loitering munitions, and active defense solutions—including hard-kill anti-drone systems—as well as naval and ground platforms with weapon integration capabilities.

It has over a decade of experience in the defense sector, having collaborated closely for years with the Ukrainian defense industry and participated in projects alongside major European and international companies such as Indra, Minsait, Escribano Mechanical & Engineering, Urovesa, Instalaza, FECSA, Expal, FMG Granada (Czech Slovak Group), Elsel, and Oto Melara of the Italian Leonardo group, as well as Ukrainian industrial players such as Antonov, Aviakon, Motor Sich, and more than 130 factories of the former Ukrainian state defense consortium UkrOboronProm, now the Ministry of Strategic Industries of Ukraine.

Through Incom Global Defense, it continues to drive industrial collaborations and projects in various markets, combining operational experience, systems integration, and capability development in real-world environments. Its focus centers on translating that knowledge into an agile industrial model geared toward production, integration, and continuous adaptation to emerging threats.

The 3rd Tactical Experimentation Campaign of the Spanish Army, which took place between the 7th and 17th of this month at the Álvarez de Sotomayor Base (Viator, Almería), was the venue chosen by the new Spanish defense company ARMMO Defense Technologies to showcase its capabilities. During the campaign, the company's CEO, Jaime Abrisqueta, had the opportunity to explain firsthand to His Majesty King Felipe VI the development and application of its systems in real operational environments. The company showcased various solutions in the fields of unmanned systems and tactical air defense, including the BANDIT-X anti-drone interceptor, the GULL air-to-surface attack multicopter, and its line of active acoustic beacons for early threat detection.

ARMMO’s proposal responds to the new demands of the battlefield with lightweight, autonomous, scalable systems capable of real-time deployment, developed from the direct experience of active-duty military personnel in conflict zones. This visit highlights the role of Spanish technological innovation in the defense sector, as well as institutional support for a key sector in addressing current security challenges.

The tactical demonstration brings together companies such as Indra, Escribano Mechanical & Engineering, and ARMMO Defense Technologies, which are showcasing unmanned systems and solutions adapted to real combat scenarios. King Felipe VI visited the Álvarez de Sotomayor military base in Viator (Almería) on Thursday, where the Spanish Army is testing the capabilities that will define future combat as part of the Tactical Experimentation Campaign linked to the Experimental Brigade 2035.

During the visit, the monarch was able to see firsthand how robotization, artificial intelligence, and unmanned systems are transforming the battlefield. Drones, ground robots, advanced sensors, and digitalized command systems are being integrated into a highly connected environment designed to reduce soldiers' direct exposure and increase operational efficiency.

The Viator base has become a true innovation laboratory these days, where more than thirty companies, along with universities and technological centers, are testing their developments in real-world conditions. This collaborative ecosystem allows the Army to identify viable solutions, accelerate their integration, and adapt its capabilities to new conflict scenarios marked by speed, precision, and technological autonomy.